Paine the Poet

Youth JusticeAccess to EducationRacial JusticeArt Music and WritingMental HealthHumanizing Language

Nov 13

Written By Gordon Rosenberg

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Paine The Poet, a spoken word artist and activist from Columbus, OH, uses his poetry and personal experience as a formerly incarcerated individual to advocate for the disenfranchised, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline through high school poetry courses, and prepare incarcerated youth for reintegration into society.
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About Paine

Paine The Poet is a spoken word artist, activist, educator, and public speaker from Columbus, OH. He uses his gift of poetry and lyricism to bridge the gap between the “disenfranchised” and the society from which they have been detached. His experience as a formerly incarcerated individual of eight years makes him a powerful voice for “convicted felons” and those deemed a “menace to society.”

As a teaching artist, Paine attempts to disrupt the school to prison pipeline by facilitating poetry courses in high schools across Washington, DC. Currently, Paine is partnered with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to prepare incarcerated youth for their return to society.

He has headlined at the National Gallery of Art, 93.9 WKYS, the U.S Capitol, the NFL and various social justice events throughout the United States.

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Jessie Mabrey

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Shannon Ross

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Paine the Poet

Washington D.C.
Paine The Poet, a spoken word artist and activist, uses his poetry and personal experience as a formerly incarcerated individual to advocate for the disenfranchised, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline through high school poetry courses, and prepare incarcerated youth for reintegration into society.

Norris Henderson

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Norris Henderson, Founder and Executive Director of VOTE and Voters Organized to Educate, leverages his 27 years of wrongful incarceration to advocate for public policy reform in areas like police accountability and public defense, while actively working to uplift communities of color across Louisiana through various leadership roles and community outreach.

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Washington DC

Gordon Rosenberg

Paine the Poet

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About Paine

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